A reel is a cylinder which turns on it axis and is used for winding rope, cord, wire, or other flexible line material. A reel enables long lengths of line to be stored compactly and also reduces or eliminates tangling of the line. In some reels, e.g., fishing reels, one end of the line is attached to the reel while the other end is unwound. In other reels, e.g., electrical and telephone cord reels, one end of the line is attached to an object other than the reel itself while the other end is unwound. In reels of the latter type, the line tends to twist and tangle as it is unwound because the stationary end of the line is not free to rotate with the line on the reel. A number of reels have been disclosed to reduce this twisting of the line.
Hite, U.S. Pat. No. 1,397,633, issued Nov. 22, 1921, discloses a reel for electrical cord having two or more conducting wires. The spool in the Hite reel contains an interior helical torsional spring which provides a force to turn the spool (and thereby wind the cord) when the cord is unwound from the reel. A ratchet mechanism prevents unwanted winding. The reel also contains an electrical contact assembly between the portion of the cord on the spool and the portion of the cord running from the reel to an electrical outlet. The purpose of the electrical contact assembly is to reduce the twisting of the cord as it is unwound by enabling the portion of the cord on the spool to rotate freely from the portion of the cord running to the outlet. The electrical contact assembly comprises a collar of conducting material, which is connected to a wire of the cord on the spool and rotates with it. This collar rubs against a stationary conducting member connected to a wire of the cord going to the outlet. A separate collar/conducting member is used for each conducting wire in the cord.
Ditzig, U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,242, issued Oct. 20, 1992, discloses a telephone cord reel similar to the Hite reel. The Ditzig reel differs by using a spool with helical channels on its outer surface (rather than a spool with a smooth surface), by employing a helical spring which can be selectively loaded (rather than a spring which is loaded a fixed amount), and by preventing the unwanted winding of the cord by frictional contact between the cord and the housing (rather than with a ratchet mechanism).
Technology has advanced to the point that telephones in airplanes, motor vehicles, and other means of transportation are becoming common. In such locations, space is limited and the use of a telephone cord reel is desirable. The Ditzig reel is satisfactory, but suffers from the several disadvantages. First, the cord can be unwound only in a direction perpendicular to the spool: it would be desirable if the cord could be unwound at any angle from parallel to perpendicular. Second, the Ditzig reel has no means for guiding the cord into the adjacent helical channel of the spool. As a result, the cord occasionally tangles on the spool. Third, the Ditzig reel lacks any means to prevent the cord from unwinding if a sudden deceleration occurs. A rapid, uncontrolled unwinding of a telephone handset upon sudden stopping (as occurs occasionally in airplanes and motor vehicles) is dangerous to passengers nearby. Accordingly, a demand exists for an improved telephone cord reel which is particularly suited for use in airplanes, motor vehicles, and other places where space is limited.